Overarching goal of the Center is to understand the mechanisms of pathophysiology of diabetes and obesity and their cardiovascular complications. The Bioanalytics Core is an integral part of the Center and will play a key role in the evolution of COBRE in Phase III. The Core will render services for rigorous and comprehensive bioanalytical analysis of diabetic specimens. It will provide intellectual input with experimental design and state-of-the-art technical expertise to address the needs of Center investigators. The Core consists of a group of outstanding scientists with expertise in chromatography, mass spectrometry, clinical chemistry, cardiovascular physiology and diabetes. Director of the Core, Dr. Sanjay Srivastava has more than twenty five years of research experience in analytical biochemistry and pathology, vascular inflammation, atherosclerosis and diabetes. He will oversee all the Core operations and will work closely with Center investigators and COBRE-supported pilot project leaders to fulfill their analytical biochemistry needs. Dr. Lorkiewicz, technical director of the Core has extensive experience in stable isotope labeling and mass spectrometric analyses of small molecular weight compounds. He will assist the Center investigators with their metabolomics, mercapturomics and other chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses. Drs. Srivastava and Lorkiewicz will provide hands on training to junior investigators for bioanalytical assays. The training acquired at the Core will facilitate them to grow as scientists and expand their repertoire of technical skills. The Core is equipped with state-of-the-art clinical chemistry and analytical biochemistry equipment and is located in the Delia Baxter Building. In addition to address the current requirements of the COBRE projects, the Core will continue to expand its knowledgebase and technical expertise to satisfy the future needs of the Center. Long term goal of the Core is to become a fiscally independent entity capable of providing cutting-edge pathology and bio-analytical services to researchers interested in diabetes and cardiovascular pathophysiology. Continued excellence in pathological analyses will foster collaborations which will not only help the Core financially, but will also advance the field in combatting diabetic complications.